yahoo
When the Tennessee Titans selected Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
in the second round the 2026 NFL Draft, it meant two things.
They were getting a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best middle linebackers in the country, and they had continued the franchise's longest draft connection.
Since founding owner Bud Adams took control of the Houston Oilers in 1960, the Titans /Oilers have drafted 23 players from Texas , more than any other school in franchise history.
The next closest schools have produced 16 draft picks (Penn State, Auburn).
The gap stretches from the Oilers' early years in the American Football League draft history, to some of the more notable draft decisions in Titans history.
Earl Campbell shaped Titans' Texas pipeline in 1978 Texas didn't become the franchise's top drafted school only because of volume.
The Oilers repeatedly spent premium draft capital on Longhorns , including five Texas first-round picks.
None of them carried more weight than Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell.
Houston traded tight end Jimmie Giles, a first-round pick, a second-round pick and two future draft picks to Tampa Bay for the No.
1 overall selection in 1978 Campbell, a Heisman Trophy running back from Texas, knew where he was headed.
"I called (Oilers coach Bum Phillips) and he told me, 'Congratulations, we're drafting you and we would like to see what day we can get you a ticket to come down here," Campbell told The Tennessean in a 2025 interview.
Campbell won AP Rookie of the Year in 1978 and was the NFL MVP in 1979.
Don't forget Vince Young The franchise returned to Texas with another top-three pick in 2006.
Adams' admiration for Young was widely reported before the draft.
Former Titans coach Jeff Fisher later said at a Bears press conference that Young ranked behind Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler and USC's Matt Leinart on his draft board.
Young became one of the most scrutinized draft picks in franchise history due to the conflict between Adams and Fisher regarding who to pick.
How's the connection relevant now? After drafting defensive back Michael Griffin in 2007, the Titans went 17 years without selecting another Texas player.
That changed when former Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat was selected in 2024, followed by tight end Gunnar Helm in 2025 and Hill in 2026.
Sweat was traded in the offseason.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Texas became Tennessee Titans' NFL draft pipeline.
It started with Earl Campbell.